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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

Ship's patches courtesy of Mike Smolinski

USS Forster (DE 334)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - T - E - H
Tactical Voice Radio Call: "Circle Drive"
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Combat Action Ribbon (retroactively) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Second Row: European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal w/ 1 star - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal
Third Row: National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 star - Antarctica Service Ribbon - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal w/ 1 star
Fourth Row: Vietnam Service Medal w/ 7 stars - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross (palm) Unit Citation w/ 4 stars - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Specifications:
Class: Edsall
Type: FMR (geared diesel, Fairbanks-Morse reverse gear drive, 3" guns)
Displacement: 1200 tons (light), 1590 tons (full)
Length: 300' (wl), 306' (oa)
Beam: 36' 10" (extreme)
Draft: 20' 6" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 4 Fairbanks-Morse Mod. 38d81/8 geared diesel engines, 4 diesel-generators, 6000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 21 kts
Range: 9,100 nm @ 12 knots
Armament: 3 x 3"/50 Mk22 (1x3), 1 twin 40mm Mk1 AA, 8 x 20mm Mk 4 AA, 3 x 21" Mk15 TT (3x1), 1 Hedgehog Projector Mk10 (144 rounds), 8 Mk6 depth charge projectors, 2 Mk9 depth charge tracks
Complement: 8 / 201
Forster (DE 334) Building and Operational Data:
  • 31 August 1943: Keel laid at the Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex.
  • 13 November 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. E. W. Forster, widow of Machinist Forster
  • 25 January 1944: Commissioned, Lcdr I. E. Davis, USNR, in command
  • 15 June 1946: Decommissioned at Green Cove Springs, Fla.
  • 29 June 1951: Loaned to USCG and Recommissioned WDE-434
  • 25 May 1954: Returned USN and Decommissioned
  • 21 October 1955: Reclassified and converted DER 331
  • 23 October 1956: Recommissioned at Long Beach, Cal., assigned to Escort Squadron 5 at Seattle, Wash.
  • 20June 1958: Homeport changed to Pearl Harbor, Ha.
  • 25 September 1971: Decommissioned, Stricken from the NVR
  • 25 September 1971: Loaned to South Vietnam, renamed Tran Khanh Du (HQ-04). Captured by North Vietnamese after the fall of Saigon on 29 April 1975.
  • 30 April 1975: Written off as "transferred to Vietnam", renamed Dai Ky (HQ-03). Equipped with 2 quad SA-N-5 Grail launchers; in use as a training ship since 1993, operational as of 1997.
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By And/Or Copyright
    Forster 56k 4 February 1952: Mare Island Naval Shipyard - Aft plan view of USS Forster (WDE 434), inboard, and USS Newell (WDE 422) at Mare Island. Both were in overhaul at the yard from 10 September 1951 to 5 February 1952. (U.S. Navy photo #DE 344 11701-52) Darryl Baker
    Forster 56k 4 February 1952: Mare Island Naval Shipyard - Forward plan view of USS Forster (WDE 434), inboard, and USS Newell (WDE 422). (U.S. Navy photo #DE 344 11698-52)
    Forster 52k circa 1957: USS Forster underway. (Official U.S. Navy Photo; From "Jane's Fighting Ships, 1958-59") Robert Hurst
    Forster 303k 1961: Hong Kong - A special assignment was given to Forster in late fall of 1960 when she was relieved of Pacific Barrier Patrol duty and assigned to WestPac. Loaded with a large number of extra depth charges, she systematically dropped them on a great circle track from 9 deg. north of the Equator to a point east of Japan (along the then Russian missile testing track). Sonar buoys and various other sound detection devices in the Pacific then picked up and triangulated the sounds of the explodong depth charges to simulate the splash location of future Russian test warheads. Upon reaching Japan, Forster was assigned to Formosa Patrol duty, 6 weeks as Station Ship Hong Kong, and made a good-will tour of the Philippine Islands (San Carlos, Negro; Surigao, Mindinao; Ormoc City, Leyte; and Kalibo, Panay). She returned to Pearl Harbor in the summer of 1961. William C. Krommenhoek
    Forster 121k 19 September 1962: location unknown - Commander Gordon R. Nagler and Admiral John H. Sides examine the the Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy plaque, during ceremonies in which Forster received the award. Established in 1962 in honor of former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, USN, this award plaque's sculptor was H. de Bellis. In 1971 this trophy was transferred to the collections of the Curator of the Department of the Navy. (USNHC Photo #NH55887 and National Archives Photo #1061190) Bill Gonyo
    Forster 56k RD2 Phil Burton had this photo scanned and printed from a cruise book photo, circa 1964 Dick Hallowell
    RD1 ('64-'66)
    Forster 164k 20 February 1966: the South China Sea - 82-footers of Coast Guard Division 13, refueling from the Navy escort USS Forster (DE 334) en route to Vietnam from Subic Bay. (U.S. Coast Guard Photo CPI-022066-09 by PHC F. Borzage, USCG, from the U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office) Robert Hurst
    Forster 144k as above. (U.S. Coast Guard Photo by PHC F. Borzage, USCG from the U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office)
    Forster 78k May 1966: Kaohsiung, Taiwan - a nice shot of Forster's Hedgehog launcher Larry Backus
    Forster 87k January 1969: Pearl Harbor - Forster makes her approach to moor alongside USS Charles Berry (DE 1035) and USS Vance (DER 387). (Photo © Richard Leonhardt) Richard Leonhardt
    Forster 38k passing the USS Renville (APA 227) Lt. Richard Dawson
    USS Renville (APA 227)
    Forster 38k undated: ex-USS Forster as HQVN Tran Khanh Du (HQ-4) Bang Le
    View the USS Forster (DE 334) DANFS history entry
    located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    Contact Name: Byron Maggos
    Address: 17506 Meadowbrook Drive / Grayslake IL 60030
    Phone: (847) 918-9734
    E-mail: Byron Maggos
    Note About Contacts

    Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has been
    made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list only
    a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists or rosters available. Please see the Frequently Asked
    Questions section on NavSource's Main Page for that information.

    Additional Resources
    USS Forster Web Site
    Radar Picket Ships DE/DER Web Links
    Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
    Tin Can Sailors Shipmate Registry - USS Forster
    The Destroyer History Foundation
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    This Page Created And Maintained by Mike Smolinski
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    by Paul R. Yarnall, All Rights Reserved.
    Page Last Updated 7 December 2009